Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleSepp Blatter, the former president of Fifa, has strongly criticised the organisation's proposal to create a $20 billion subsidiary for managing the World Cup and other events. Blatter argues that the World Cup is not a commercial asset to be controlled by a select few, asserting that "football belongs to no individual and to no institution. It belongs to the people." He warned that transferring Fifa into a "profit-oriented corporate structure" would cause it to "lose its soul”, a move he claims would have been unthinkable during his 17-year tenure. The plan, put forward by current president Gianni Infantino, involves offering up to 20 per cent stakes in the subsidiary to external investors, a move that has also drawn criticism from European governing body Uefa. Blatter emphasised that Fifa's role is to be the guardian of the World Cup, not its owner, and that any income should benefit the game itself, from grassroots to international levels, rather than outside investors. In fullBlatter takes fresh swipe at Fifa after Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan revealedMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Sepp Blatter warns Fifa’s World Cup proposal will cause football to ‘lose its soul’
Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleSepp Blatter, the former president of Fifa, has strongly criticised the organisation's proposal to create a $20 billion subsidiary for managing the World Cup and other events. Blatter argues that the World Cup is not a commercial asset to be controlled by a select few, asserting that "football belongs to no individual and to no institution. It belongs to the people." He warned that transferring Fifa into a "profit-oriented corporate structure" would cause it to "lose its soul”, a move he claims would have been unthinkable during his 17-year tenure. The plan, put forward by current president Gianni Infantino, involves offering up to 20 per cent stakes in the subsidiary to external investors, a move that has also drawn criticism from European governing body Uefa. Blatter emphasised that Fifa's role is to be the guardian of the World Cup, not its owner, and that any income should benefit the game itself, from grassroots to international levels, rather than outside investors. In fullBlatter takes fresh swipe at Fifa after Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan revealedMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
